Senior Protection Assistant

August 4, 2026

A (least hardship)

Family

GS5

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-09-01

Senior Protection Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.

The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
- Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Contribute to a country-level education plan for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
- Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
- Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law;
Political Science;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential: Not specified.
Desirable: Not specified.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Operational Context


The Senior Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Team. The incumbent of this position will be based at the UNHCR Multi-Country Office in the UN ESCAP building, but will spend several days per week working in Immigration Detention Center or other government facilities. Thailand is not signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has no exemption in its Immigration Act for persons seeking international protection. Even with UNHCR registration, asylum-seekers and refugees are liable to being charged with illegal entry/stay in the absence of a valid visa.

The incumbent will act as a critical interface between UNHCR, authorities, and persons of concern to UNHCR. S/he will provide functional and administrative support on protection-related liaison work, correspondence, monitoring, case management, and reporting activities. S/he will provide counselling to asylum-seekers and refugees regarding protection and security issues, health concerns, and documentation. S/he will identify especially vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees for protections interventions. S/he will be responsible for monitoring detention conditions, coordinating with authorities, keeping abreast of developments and advocating where appropriate to help ensure appropriate treatment for asylum-seekers and refugees. The Senior Protection Assistant will also be expected to conduct protection monitoring visits to locations outside of Bangkok on a regular basis.

Excellent inter-personal, drafting and negotiations skills are required. Experience in working with refugees, liaising with authorities, and/or in related field would be an advantage. Experience working in detention centres or similar operating environments would be an advantage.

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Operational context

The RTG is not signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not currently recognize UNHCR documentation (Asylum-Seeker and Refugee Cards). Further, Thailand has no exemption in its Immigration Act for persons seeking international protection and asylum-seekers and refugees are liable to being charged with illegal entry/stay in the absence of a valid visa.  Persons apprehended, prosecuted and convicted for illegal entry/stay are normally sent to Immigration Detention Centers (IDC) under a deportation order.

The Senior Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Team. The incumbent of this position will be based at the UNHCR-Multi countries Office in the UN ESCAP building, but will spend several days per week working in Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centers. The incumbent will act as a critical interface between UNHCR, the IDC authorities and Persons of Concern in IDC. S/he will provide functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities.   S/he will provide counselling to asylum-seekers and refugees in IDC regarding protection and security issues, health concerns and documentation. S/he will identify especially vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees in IDC for protections interventions and services referrals. S/he will be responsible for monitoring detention conditions, coordinating with IDC authorities, keeping abreast of developments and advocating where appropriate to help ensure appropriate treatment for detained asylum-seekers and refugees. The Senior Protection Assistant will also be expected to conduct detention monitoring visits to IDCs located in Provinces outside of Bangkok on a regular basis.

The Senior Protection Assistant will also be the focal point for counselling and interviewing refugees and asylum seekers reporting protection and security incidents outside of IDC.  S/he will prepare assessments on protection incidents and make referrals to other UNHCR units or external partners, as necessary. 

The Senior Protection Assistant will be responsible for timely and accurate data entry in order to generate statistical reports for reporting and monitoring purposes.   

Excellent inter-personal, drafting and negotiations skills are required. Experience in working with refugees and/or in related field would be an advantage. Experience working in detention centres or similar operating environments would be an advantage

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

Certifications

International Law - Other, Political Science - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance